This invention relates generally to exercise devices, and more particularly to a device which is especially useful for assisting in the performance of effective strengthening and rehabilitation exercises for the shoulder.
The rotator cuff or musculotendinous cuff consists of the fibers of the supraspinatus, infra-spinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis muscles, which blend with and reinforce the capsule of the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff is important because degeneration and subsequent tearing of its tendon of insertion is rather common pathology which results in restriction of shoulder movement, especially in abduction. Other common shoulder overuse injuries include impingement syndrome, rotator cuff dysfunction, rotator cuff strains, tendinitus, and chronic, recurrent, or functional subluxation instabilities. It is therefore very important to keep these muscles strong and in good range of movement.
It is well accepted practice among those skilled in the art of shoulder rehabilitation and development, that exercise routines which are conducted with the arm oriented in the plane of the scapula, wherein the mechanical axis of the glenohumeral joint is in line with the mechanical axis of the scapula, are advantageous. The reason for this is that, in this alignment, the glenohumeral capsule is lax, and the deltoid and rotator cuff muscles are optimally positioned to elevate the limb. Because rotator cuff muscle attachment is from the scapula to the humerus, reorienting the humerus into the plane of the scapula increases the length of these muscles, and improves their length-tension relationship, a result that presumably facilitates optimal muscle force (see, for example, The Athlete""s Shoulder, edited by James Andrews and Kevin Wilk (1994), chapters 42 and 43, herein expressly incorporated by reference.
The problem, in practice is to obtain this desired limb position, and to maintain it during an entire exercise set. Because of fatigue and the activity involved in the exercise routine, the patient""s limb can easily slip out of the most effective position for performing the routine, often without the patient being aware that this has occurred. Furthermore, the concept of maintaining one""s limb in the plane of the scapula is a rather abstract one for a lay patient, and they may have no idea, once the position of their limb has been compromised, as to how to restore it to the desired orientation for the balance of their exercise set. Thus, unless the therapist who initiated the exercise stands watch over that patient during the entire set (a highly inefficient and expensive proposition), restoring the arm to its proper position whenever it moves the effectiveness of the exercise may be compromised.
Prior art solutions to this problem have generally included such makeshift approaches as rolling up a towel and placing the towel between the limb and the torso of a patient, in an attempt to prop the limb in an orientation which approximates the desired one.
What is needed, therefore, is a device which is specifically adapted to assist in supporting a patient""s limb in an orientation which is most effective for performing a particular exercise routine.
The present invention solves the foregoing problem by providing a simple, easy to use, reliable device for ensuring that a patient""s limb is maintained in a steady, predetermined orientation relative to the torso of the patient during an entire exercise routine. The device is versatile and, though particularly adapted to benefit shoulder rehabilitation and strengthening therapy, may potentially also be utilized for many other types of therapy related to any limb.
More particularly, there is provided a device for rehabilitating or strengthening an extremity of a patient, preferably the shoulder, which comprises a first member for supporting the extremity of the patient, a second member for engaging the torso of the patient, and a third member for connecting the first and second members. In its preferred embodiments, the third member comprises a telescoping shaft, which is adjustable to a plurality of potentially desirable lengths.
The second member preferably comprises a tubular structure having an arcuate configuration, being generally xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d-shaped and having a convex side and a concave side, wherein the concave side thereof is adapted to engage the torso of the patient. Similarly, the first member is also preferably generally xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d-shaped, having a convex side and a concave side, wherein the concave side thereof is adapted to support the arm of the patient.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for rehabilitating or strengthening an extremity of a patient is disclosed, using a device comprising a first member for supporting the extremity of a patient, a second member for engaging the torso of the patient, and a third member for joining the first and second members. The preferred method comprises the steps of engaging the second member with the torso of the patient, so that the first member is disposed in a position remote from the torso, supporting the extremity with the first member, and beginning a desired exercise routine.
The invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawing.